Nearly 400 South Korean minors listed as company heads annually

New data reveals a striking trend in South Korea, an average of 382 minors were registered as business representatives every year between 2021-2025, including 22 kids aged five or younger. Of these, 21 reported annual earnings over 100 million won ($72,200), with one child under five among the top earners. Real estate and rental businesses dominate the list. Lawmaker Moon Jin-seok says it exposes deep inequality and is calling for tax authorities to probe whether families are using these setups to dodge inheritance taxes.